Black History Month Celebrations Include Film Series, Freedom Fest

The 2025 Black History Month theme, “African Americans and Labor,” highlights and celebrates the significant contributions of African Americans in all occupations and public service while acknowledging their past labor struggles.
The Association for the Study of African American Life and History wrote of this year’s theme: “Considering Black people’s work through the widest perspectives provides versatile and insightful platforms for examining Black life and culture through time and space. In this instance, the notion of work constitutes compensated labor in factories, the military, government agencies, office buildings, public service, and private homes. But it also includes the community building of social justice activists, voluntary workers serving others, and institution building in churches, community groups, and social clubs and organizations. In each of these instances, the work Black people do and have done has been instrumental in shaping the lives, cultures and histories of Black people and the societies in which they live.”
This year’s theme is reflected in many of the events that will take place throughout the month at The University of Scranton. Many of the events are open to the general public.
Events begin on Monday, Feb. 3, with a table sit titled “Black History Month 2025 Theme: African Americans and Labor” which will provide more information to faculty, staff, students and the public about this year’s theme. This event will be on the first floor of the DeNaples Center, near the Multicultural Center, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Shannen Dee Williams, Ph.D., associate professor of history of the University of Dayton will present “In the Shadow of the Cross: Excavating the Hidden History of Black Catholic Nuns in the United States.” The lecture is open to the community and will take place in the Moskovitz Theater, in the DeNaples Center on Feb. 5, beginning at 5 p.m.
The Black History Month Film Series begins on Feb. 10 with “The Angry Black Girl and Her Monster” directed by Bomani J. Story. The film screening will include an introduction by University of Scranton Associate Professor of History Melissa Anyiwo, Ph.D., director of the University’s Black Studies Concentration. On Feb. 24, the film “Beauty Shop,” directed by Billie Woodruff, will be screened with an introductory talk by Anthony Betancourt, Ph.D., assistant professor of psychology at Scranton. Both movie events begin at 7 p.m. in Pearn Auditorium, Brennan Hall, and are open to the general public and the campus community.
Several events are also planned for University students, faculty and staff, including a Networking Social at 5 p.m. followed by an Alumni Panel Discussion at 6 p.m. on Feb. 19. The Louis Stanley Brown Black Student Union will host its annual Freedom Fest in February; the event aims to share and celebrate Black culture. The event will feature informational tables, dance performances, an open mic, food and raffle prizes. The Jane Kopas Women’s Center will host a “Black Women Built That” table sit to discuss the many contributions of Black women’s work both compensated and uncompensated to our society on Feb. 25. The Center will also host an event in collaboration with the Louis Stanley Brown Black Student Union titled “Who Built That? The Impact of Black Innovators,” with interactive games for students to learn about the contributions of African Americans that impact lives today. This game night is planned for Feb. 26.
The Cultural Center, the Louis Stanley Brown Black Student Union, the Black Studies Concentration, the Jesuit Center, the Weinberg Memorial Library, the Office of Alumni Relations, the Roche Family Center for Career Development and the Jane Kopas Women’s Center are among those planning the University's Black History Month events.
For more information about the events and lectures, contact the Multicultural Center at 570-941-5904 or mulicultural@scranton.edu.